Adjustable supporting device for switches and receptacles.



H. HUBBELL.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SWITCHES AND RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED IuNEzz, I9II.

1,275,692. Patented Aug. 13, 191s.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

HARVEY HUBBELL, 0E BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SWITCHES AND RECEPTACLES.

tacles and similar structures which are used in connection with outlet boxes in wall pockets and are provided with face plates, and the invention has for its object to provide an adjusting device which is sold with the 'switch or receptacle, ist attached to the outlet box and provides a rigid support for the switch or receptacle, parallel with the plaster line and without regard to the position of the outlet box.

It is, of course, well understood that in new installations the outlet boxes are usually secured to woodwork before the plaster is applied, and that the plaster usually covers the outlet box and frequently has to be broken away to expose it. vIn any event the top of the outlet box usually lies an appreciable distance below the surface of the wall and is frequentlyout of parallel therewith.

I provide. switches, rece Owing to this fact, and to the fact that the faceplate should lie parallelwith and in close contact with the face of the wall, I tacles and the like with the ynovel adjusta le supporting device which I will now describe referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

lFigure 1 is :a plan view of al receptacle showing the use in connection therewith of my novel adjustable supporting device;

Fig. 2 a side elevation corresponding therewith, partly broken away.;

Fig. 3 an end elevation corresponding therewith;

' Fig. 4 a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of my novel adjustable supporting device detached;

Fig. a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing an outlet box and receptacle installed in a wall pocket the adjustment of the receptacle having een effected by my novel device;

vFig. 6 a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 6-6 in Fig. 3 looking in the direction ofthe arrows, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application led .Tune 22, 19,17. Serial No. 176,313.

my novel adjustable supporting device as applied to a push button switch, and in connection with'an alining plate, which may or.

may not be used in connection with switches, receptacles and similar structures, as preferred. i

10 denotes an rigidly secured in place in a wall pocket 11, 12 a receptacle, and 13 the face plate of the receptacle which lies parallel. with and in close contact with the face of the wall indicated by 14. It will be obvious that so far as the present invention switches, receptacles and like devices are equivalents. ience in description, use the term switch generically.

My novel device comprises simply a switch l carrying and an attaching member indicated respectively by 15 and 16, and a set screw indicated by 17. In practice two of my novel devices are used in connection with. each switch, one at each end of the switch. Member 15 is substantially L-shaped and comprises a horizontal arm and a depending arm. The horizontal arm is provided with a threaded hole 18, which is engaged by the screw 419 that secures the member to the switch or receptacle and with a threaded lhole 20, which is engaged by one of the face plate screws indicated by 21. The depending arm of member 15 lies in a recess 23 in the end of the insulating body of the switch or receptacle.v

In the form illustrated in Fig. 7 member 15 is shown as .an integral part of an alining plate 22 which may or may not be used, and which specifically forms no portion of my present invention but is shown, described and claimed in other applications now pending in the Patent Office, Serial No. 32,080,

filed June 4, 1915, Serial No. 34,630, filed June 17, 1915, allowed Feb. 11, 1918, Serial No. 61,923, filed Nov. 17, 1915, allowed Feb, 11, 191s, and 22, 1917.

Member 16 comprises a bracket the vertical arm of which is provided with ways 24 adapted to receive the depending arm of member 15, permitting member 16 to slide verti-2 cally outlet boxk which is shown asV is concerned,

I will, therefore, for convenf` Serial No. 176,312, filed JuneA on said arm. A lug 25 is struck outv from the back of the vertical arm of memy ber 16, the u per end of the lug remaining attached. orresponding holes are made, and threaded in the horizontal arm and in the lug, the axialV line of these A holes lying obliquely to the face of the depending arm of member-15,- so that the inner end of set screw 17 in these holes will engage said depending armobliquely. ltwill be obvious tha't when set screw is loosened, member 15 and the switch or receptacle carried thereby may be moved vertically relatively to member 16, and that when the set screw is tightened up member 15 vand the structure carried thereby willbe rigidly locked in place. lin order to prevent springing of the depending arm of member 15 and binding of the face of the ways Vagainst the wall of recess 23 in the body of the switch or receptacle, li provide in said recess a suitable l abutment 27 contiguous to said depending arm, see Fig. 6. Member 16 is secured to the outlet box by means of a screw 28 which passes through a slot 29 in the horizontal arm of member 16. This is in order to provide lateral adjustment, if necessary, of the witch or receptacle relatively to the outlet |lihe form illustrated in Fig. 7 diders in that a switch of the push .buttontype is illustrated instead of a receptacle and that it is used in connection with an alining plate. structure is carried by the alining plate of which member 15 forms a part.

The operation is as follows. As already stated my novel supporting devices are sold with the switch or'like structure, one being provided at each end, the horizontal arm of member 16 taking the place ofthe ordinary lattaching lug. Having attached members 16 to the outlet box by means of screws 28, set screws 17 are loosened which leaves the switch vertically adjustable relatively to the outlet box. 'llhe operator simply raises or lowers the switch, as may be required, suciently to place the switch in the desired position relatively to the plaster line.

1n this form, the switch or like :terasse ln Fig. 5, 1 have shown an adjustment in which the top of the main portion of the body of the receptacle is placedy flush with the plaster line. lt is sufficient to say that when the set screws are loosened the switch, receptacle or like structure lmay be placed in any required position without regard to whether or not the ends of the outlet boX lie at the same distance from the plaster line. Having adjusted the switch or like structure, the set screws are tightened up to lock it in place.l As eachset screw is turned into engagement with the depending arm of a member 15, the effect will necessarily be to draw the ways outward so that said depend-ing arm will be tightly gripped between the inner faces of the ways, on one side, and the set screw, on the other side, thus effecting a rigid lock and one that eii'ectually meets the conditions of use.

Having thus described my invention, l claim 1. A device of the character described,-

comprising a member adapted for attachment to an outlet box and provided with ways, a carrying member having a depending arm engaging said ways, and a set screw in the first mentioned member placed obliquely to the depending arm 'and adapted to clamp said arm between itself and the inner face of the ways.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a member adapted for attachment to anyoutlet box and having a lug struck out therefrom and ways, a carrying member having a depending arm engaging the ways, and an obliquely placed set screw having threaded engagement with the first mentioned member and also with the lug, and adapted to engage the depending arm, for the purppse set forth.

4ln testimony whereof Ifaiix my signature.

'^ HARVEY HUBBELL. 

